Game device



" G. E. PROUD ET AL GME DEVICE Filed Jan. 13. 1*925 Sept. l5,- -1925;

@2&2 I' ad IN VEN TO Ziff/165i Patented Sept. l5, 1925.

UNITED 'STATESi PATENT -oFFlcEQ-f GILBERT ERNEST FROUD AND HERBERT GEORGE FRO'O'D, OF CORTEZ ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

GAME DEVICE.

Application led January 13, 1,925. Serial No. 2,080.

To aZZ'whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, GILBERT ERNEST FRoUD and HET-maar GEORGE lFRoUD, subjects of the King ofv Great Britain, and rein Fig. 6.

siding at Cortez Island, British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Devices, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 4 f

This invention relates to game devices and particularly to an indoor game of tennis;

and the object of theI invention is to provide. a game board constructed to represent a tennis court with a net mounted centrally and transversely thereof; and further tothe provision of side nets to retain the balls used in the playing 4of' the game within the boundary lines; a still further object being to provide a game of the class specified, the boardof which is *composed of two substantially similar end portions hinged together to permit of the compact folding of the entire game board and the several parts employed in connection therewith; a f-urther object being to provide an improved form of racket 'for use in our improved game; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a game'device of the class and for the purpose specified which` is simple in construction, and which is designed to amuse and entertain both young and old, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which vthe accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of our improvement are designated by suitable reference characters vin each of the views, and in which:

Fig.- 1 is a sectional side view of the game board in an extended operative position andv indicating the method of playing the game.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the construction with part of the construction broken away. Fig. 6 is ay plan view of -an improved raclret, which we employ; and

F 1g. 7 'is a side view of the racket shown In carrying our' invention into effect, we provide a game board 10 which is oblong and rectangular in form and in the construction shown is composed of two substantially similar sections 11 and 12 hinged together centrally as shown at 13. The sections 11 and 12 of the game boardy arevof framework construction or comprise side and end walls( andthe'side 4walls 'of the separate sections are joined by transverse brace members 14 preferably positioned below the lower edge of said walls, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

In practlce, sheets of cardboard 15 are' mounted upon and secured to the frames of the separate sections 11 and 12 and these sheets are depressed centrally and secured to the brace members 14, thus providing spaces 16 between the top of the cardboard sheets 15, and a continuous sheet 17 of green felt, `cloth or similar material, which is stretched across the complete gaine board or the separate sections 11 and 12 thereof and secured to the frame members of said sections. The free end walls of the separate sections 11 and 12 4are also preferably provided withV upwardly projecting strips l'fL preferably composed of semi-rigid material which operate to prevent the accidental displacement ofthe tennisballs from the game board, as will be apparent.

Pivotally mounted in connection Vwith the opposite sides of the cardboard centrally thereof are two net posts 18 in connection with which is mounted a tennis net 19 which 1s adapted to extend transversely of and over the central portion of the gameboard. This net, by reason of its mounting, may be extended into a vertical position as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing or folded upon the game boardv or 'either section thereof as indicated in Fig.- 2 of the drawing. v Pivotally mounted in connectionwith the end walls of the game board or theseparate sections thereof and at the corner portions thereof are arms 20, and connected with the arms at each end of the board and extending longitudinally of the sides thereof' are nets 21 which, in the playing of the game, are' directed upwardly and outwardly approxi- Auo lawn tennis and as near as possi le and' practical these markings are proportionately arranged on the game board. The game is played with cork balls 22 of a size preferably proportionate to the size of the game and with rackets 23, which in the construction shown comprise handle members 24 at one end of which is a cross head 25, one face of which is beveled as shown at 26 in Fig. 7 of the drawing, and said face is preferably provided with a covering or facing 27 of cloth or any other suitable material. The bottom of the game board or one of the sections thereof, the section 12 in the construction shown, is provided with a compartment 28 formed by a transverse member 29 and a hinged door member 30 in which the balls 22 and rackets 23 may be placed when not in use as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawing.

In the shipment of the game board or when the same is not in use, the separate sections 11 and l2 may be folded one uponI the other by first moving the tennis net 19 into the position shown in Fig. 2 and then folding the nets 21 inwardly upon the top face of the separate sections and then folding one section upon`the other, the result of which operation is illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

Our improved game will be played, as-

near as possible, in accordance with the present rules governing the play of the game of lawn tennis but instead of using tennis rackets of the present well-known construction and vstriking the ball therewith our improved rackets 23 are employed. The balls are advanced over the net 19 by a quick sliding movement of a racket 23 over the'top face of the game board and engaging the beveled face 26 of the racket with a tennis ball as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The beveled face will cause the ball, when struck, to rise -a predetermined distance and to travel to a predetermined point on the opposite side of the net, governed by the manner in which the ball isstruck and the opponent on the vopposite end of the gameboard returns the ball in like manner, as will `be apparent. i

It will bel understood that while we have shown certain details of construction for carrying our invention into effect, that we are not necessarily limited to 4these details and various changes therein and modifications thereof may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of our invention or sacrificingits advantages.

aving fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A game device of the class described comprising an elongated game board, means for supporting a net centrally and transversely thereof, the top face of said game board being characterized to represent a tennis court, said game board being composed of separate sections whereby the same may' be compactly folded together, and means for supporting retaining nets at the opposite sides of said game board.

2. A game device of the class described comprising an elongated game board, means for supporting a net centrally and transboard being characterized to represent a tennis court, said game board being composed of separate sections whereby the same may be compactly folded together, means for supporting retaining nets at the opposite sides of said game board, and said tennis net and retaining net supporting means being movably mounted in connection with the game board. 4

3. A game device of the class described comprising an elongated game board, means for supporting a net centrally and transversely thereof, the top face of said game board being characterized to represent a tennis court, said game board being composed of separate sectlons whereby the same may be compactly folded together, means for supporting retaining nets at the opposite sides of said game board, said tennis net and retaining net supporting means being movably vmounted in connection with the game board, and the free end portions of the game board being provided with raised wall members.

4. A game device of the class described comprising an elongated game board, means for supporting a net centrally and transversely thereof, the top face of said game board being characterized to represent a tennis court, said game board being composed of separate sections whereby the same may be conipactly folded together, means for su porting retaining nets at the opposite si es of said game board, said tennis net and retaining net supporting means being movably mounted in connection Ywith thegame board, the free end portions of the gaine board being provided with raised wall members, and means for supporting rackets and the like in connection with the game board.

5. A game device of the class described comprismg a game board composed of two substantially similar frame sections placed versely thereof,'the top face of said game substantially similar frame sections placed end to end and hinged together where they abut, sheets of cardboard or the like secured to the top faces of said frame sections, and a sheet of facing material mounted upon said first named sheets and forming the facingfor the game board, means for supporting a tennis net centrally and transversely of the game board and where the separate sections abut, spaces formed between Y the. facing sheet and said first named sheets, and means for movably supporting) nets at the opposite sides of the v game oard and extending longitudinally thereof.

7. A game device of the class described kcomprising; a game board composed of two substantially similar frame. sections placed endito end and hinged together where they abut, sheets of cardboard or the like secured to the top ,faces of said frame sections, and

' a sheet of facing material mounted upon said first named sheetsl and. forming the facing for the game board, means for supporting a tennis net centrally and transversely of the game board and where the separate sections abut, spaces formed between the facing sheet and said first named sheets, means for movably supporting netsl at the opposite sides of the game board and extending longitudinally thereof, and the free end walls of the separate sections being provided with upwardly projecting retaining members.

game device of the class described comprism a game board composed of two substantie ly similar frame sections placed end to end and hinged together where they abut, sheets of cardboard or the like secured to the top faces of said frame sections, and a sheet of facing material mounted upon said first named sheets and forming the facing for the game board, means for supporting a tennis net centrally and transversely of the game board and where the separate sections abut, spaces formed between'the facing sheet and said first named sheets, means for movably supporting nets at the opposite sides of the game board and extending longitudinally thereof, the free end walls of the separate sections being provided with upwardly projecting retaining members, andA one of said sections being provided with a compartment for storing tennis balls and rackets.

9. A game device of the class described comprising a game board characterized to represent a lawn tennis court, and rackets for advancing balls over said court in the playing of the game, said racket comprising a handle member, rand crosshead at one end of said handle member and forming the head of the racket, the playing face of said head being beveled.

10. In a game device of the class described a racket of substantially T-formation and comprising a handle member, and a crosshead at one end of said handle member, said crosshead forming the head of the racket and -one `side face thereof being beveled to form the striking face.

11. in a game device'of the class described a racket of substantially T-formation and comprising a'handle member, a crosshead at. one end of said handle member, said crosshead forming the lhead ofthe racket and one side face thereof being beveled to form the striking face, and the beveled face of the racket being covered by suitable facing material.

In testimony that we claim the foregoingas our invention we have signed our names this twentieth day of May, 1924. 

